SCP Goes Green

Preschool is the perfect time to introduce the concept of embracing a greener, healthier lifestyle in order to help shape these important habits and awareness early in a child's life. We hope that it will become second nature to the students to seek safer products and reduce waste. Additionally, because our school is a cooperative, parents are deeply engaged and we have a tremendous opportunity to reach them as well. Here's some things we've implemented:

• created a green committee to teach our parents and kids about green practices
• started composting most of our waste
• replaced cleaners and soaps with organic, non-toxic products
• reduced our waste by switching to BPA and phthalate free plastic cups and bowls
• removed toys with toxic paint and harmful plastic
• performed lead, radon and BPA tests on materials around school
• moved our web site to a green web host that offsets 100% of its data center's energy usage by purchasing Renewable Energy Certificates

Here's a video with more about our process:

NEWS

Parent Education Meetings

Emotional Regulation and Your Preschooler: Coaching Skills to Promote Social, Emotional and Academic Competence

Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton will speak to us about Emotional Regulation and Your Preschooler: Coaching Skills to Promote Social, Emotional and Academic Competence. Dr. Carolyn Webster-Stratton is Professor and Director of the Parenting Clinic at the University of Washington. She is a licensed clinical psychologist and nurse-practitioner and over the past 30 years has conducted numerous randomized control group studies to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention programs for promoting social and emotional competence, school readiness skills and preventing conduct problems in high risk populations. She has also evaluated teacher, parent and child treatment programs for children diagnosed with Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Conduct Disorder and ADHD. She is the author of The Incredible Years: A Trouble Shooting Guide for Parents of Children Aged 2-8 Years.

» Learn more at The Incredible Years.

Past Presentations:

Couples Communication and Children, presented by Carolyn Pirak of the Gottman Institute
Having kids changes everything. But it doesn't have to ruin your relationship. Here is a handy PDF of notes taken during the presentation. For more tools and information, check out these books by John Gottman:

• The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
• The Relationship Cure
• Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child
• And Baby Makes Three

How much is too much? And how to tell, presented by Connie Dawson
In the course of loving and structuring children, it's sometimes hard to know if what we do, intending to be helpful, is TRULY helping. There's a way to tell what is too much and what is enough. Enough stuff that costs money. Enough attention and care. Enough limits and expectations. We practiced using the Test of Four, which can be your guide to knowing when to say YES and NO confidently. For more info, check out Dr. Dawson's books: Growing Up Again and How Much is Enough?

Raising Environmentally Conscious Kids, presented by Gina Diamond
How do you reduce, reuse and recycle in your home? At our October 6th parent meeting, we wrote down tips/ideas of things you do in your house to reduce, reuse and recycle. There were some great ideas so please read this list to make your household a little greener! And keep up the great work! (If you have any other tips to add, just send them to Missy.)